John Turgeon, Canton Township Assessor, was recently awarded the 2026 Rising Star Award in recognition of his career in property assessment, contributions to the industry, and dedication to the people of his township. Owona received the award at the Illinois Property Assessment Institute’s 68th Annual State Conference held in Normal, Illinois.

The Rising Star Award annually recognizes new assessment professionals who have at an early stage made a meaningful impact in their office, shown a commitment to professional development, and demonstrated leadership within their area of influence. Nominees are submitted from around Illinois. The winner is determined by the Board of Directors of the Illinois Property Assessment Institute. Turgeon was nominated by colleagues throughout Illinois.

Turgeon began working in the Canton Township Assessor’s Office as a deputy assessor in 2020.  He was appointed township assessor in 2022. He was elected to a full four-year term in 2025. Turgeon holds the Certified Illinois Assessing Officer designation from the Illinois Property Assessment Institute.

“John hit the ground running in his new position. In the time since he took office in 2022, John has digitized office workflows, began utilizing the Fulton County GIS map in order to help with reassessments, entered into an eight year agreement with Fulton County to obtain new aerial imagery and software, and has successfully handled his first quadrennial reassessment of the entire township,” said Fulton County Supervisor of Assessments Julie Russell in Turgeon’s nomination. Adams County Supervisor of Assessments Lisa Gasko agreed saying, “John is a great example of what a township assessor should be. He truly cares about this field and is committed to continuing education.”

“John is an exceptional professional and individual. His passion for doing the work of the assessor with fairness, equality, and equity is second to none.” said Josh Barnett, Executive Director of Illinois Property Assessment Institute. “When nominations began to arrive, John was a clear contender. He leadership and devotion to public service are unmatched.”